Global News Podcast

Israel says it has identified a Hezbollah bunker 'full of cash and gold' under a Beirut hospital. Also: research into how clock changes in the UK affect mood, and why an airport is limiting farewell hugs.

People in Moldova have narrowly backed a commitment to join the EU, in a referendum which was combined with presidential elections. Also: the issues – and online fandoms – dominating the US presidential campaign.

Israel says it is carrying out targeted strikes on sites belonging to Hezbollah's financial arm in Lebanon. Also: Hurricane Oscar makes landfall in Cuba and, why are TikTok users buying abandoned homes in Japan?

The Global News Podcast, The Global Story and Americast join forces to answer your questions about the US presidential election. We look at what the result could mean for the Middle East, Ukraine and climate change.

Israeli PM says Iran and allies have made a ‘grave mistake’ after his home was targeted by a drone. Also: Striking Boeing workers to vote on new pay deal, and how video games are better for your brain than exercise.

Meet the 14-year-old human calculator. Aaryan Shukla has been practising mental maths since the age of 6 — and holds a Guinness World Records title.

Israel blockades part of northern Gaza, dashing hopes of a ceasefire after the killing of the Hamas leader. Also: a nationwide power cut in Cuba, and the start-up offering Americans a chance to produce smarter children.

Hamas confirms the death of Yahya Sinwar and says it will not return the Israeli hostages until the IDF stops its assault and withdraws troops from Gaza. Also: reports that North Korea is sending soldiers to Russia.

The Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, was believed to have been a key figure behind the 7th of October attacks last year in Israel. Also: Australian territory to resume jailing 10-year-olds.

Police in Argentina are investigating the death of Liam Payne - a former member of boy band One Direction - who fell from a hotel balcony. Also: President Zelensky has urged EU leaders to accept his 'victory plan'.

The US envoy to the UN has said Washington is watching Israel's actions in northern Gaza to ensure there is not “a policy of starvation" there. Also: former One Direction star Liam Payne dies in Argentina.

Sudan's civil war has been raging for 18 months. Our reporter returns to his birthplace to find his home ransacked and his town in ruins. Also: Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, and the Grand Egyptian Museum opens in Giza.

The letter amounts to the strongest known written warning from the US to its ally. Also: fake vintage wine gang busted in France and Italy.

The UN rights office says the attack raised concerns about international humanitarian law. Also: North Korea blows up roads to South Korea, and we meet the Ukrainian civilians protecting the sky from Russian drones.

The UN has condemned the 'large number' of civilian deaths in north Gaza. Also: Lilly Ledbetter, who fought for equal pay for women in the US, has died, and the joy of discovering a 237 million year-old fossil.

Israel's army chief has said that a Hezbollah drone strike on a military base that killed at least four soldiers was a major blow. But General Herzi Halevi stressed the country was at war.

Hezbollah claims responsibility for a drone attack in northern Israel which killed four soldiers, and injured more than 60. Also: the UN demands answers after Israeli tanks drove into their compound in Lebanon.

We are at the One Young World Summit in Montréal with four young delegates from across the world. In a live panel, we put BBC correspondents' questions to them and ask, what would be different if they were in charge?

The UN World Food Programme says no food aid has been able to enter the north of Gaza since the first of October. The WFP says it's unclear how long the limited food supplies that had previously been delivered can last.

Pop superstar Kylie Minogue tells us how the love and support of fans around the world helped her breast cancer recovery. Also: the penguin post office; making plastic from onion peel; and learning happiness from dogs.

President Biden asks Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, after the IDF said its troops were responsible for an incident in which soldiers were injured. Also: Boeing to cut 10% of its workforce.

The UN Secretary General describes Israel's attacks on peacekeepers' bases in Lebanon as intolerable and a violation of international humanitarian law. Also: Japanese atomic bomb survivors win Nobel Peace Prize.

Lebanon says Israeli air strikes in two Beirut neighbourhoods have killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 100. Also: thousands rescued in Florida after Hurricane Milton swept through the US state.

Several people are reported dead after Hurricane Milton passed through Florida. Also: Health workers in Gaza say many killed in Israeli strike that hit a school, and Rafael Nadal announces retirement.

The US President Joe Biden says it is going to be one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in a century. Also: the Indian tycoon Ratan Tata dies aged 86, and how did the elephant get its wrinkles?

Officials in Florida have told more than five million people to evacuate, as one of the most powerful hurricanes in a century approaches. Also: the FBI arrests an Afghan man accused of planning a mass shooting.

Israeli Prime Minister tells Lebanese people 'reject Hezbollah or face destruction'. Also: Florida braces for ‘worst storm in 100 years', and the piece of art that was almost lost after being mistaken for rubbish.

The IDF is moving into a new area in the south-west of Lebanon, deploying a new division. Also, Interpol intensifies investigation into remains of murdered women in cold cases, and China slaps tariffs on European brandy.

Israel held ceremonies to remember the victims, amid further fighting. Also: a 'once in a lifetime' hurricane is heading for Mexico and Florida, and a basketball superstar makes NBA history alongside his son.

Memorial services are held to mark a year since Hamas attacks when about 1,200 people were killed and many others were taken hostage. Japan cabinet photo mocked on social media and why students aren't reading books.

The Israeli offensive continues against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Huge explosions have again struck southern Beirut. Also: a woman gets a reply to her job application many, many years later.

Your weekly bonus episode of The Global Story.

The brutal rape and murder of a student on a bus in Delhi shocked the world in 2012. Yet despite the Indian government introducing stricter laws on sexual violence, little progress has been made to actually make women safer.

Last month there were widespread protests after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital where she worked. What should India’s leaders do differently to protect women at home, at work and on the streets?

On this episode, Katya Adler speaks to the BBC’s India correspondent Soutik Biswas and presenter Devina Gupta.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide, one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world.

For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.

Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts, Laurie Kalus, Tse Yin Lee and Peter Goffin

Sound engineers: Dafydd Evans and Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Explosions rock south Beirut, a Hezbollah bastion, after another day of Israeli strikes. Also: Donald Trump holds a rally where he avoided an assassin's bullet and is it the end for one of France's last accordion makers?

We speak to a Canadian family and an elderly UK woman about the joy of Adopt a Grandparent -- which tackles loneliness while sharing life experiences. Also: Alaska's Fat Bear Week; and dozens of whacky cars.

Four hospitals in southern Lebanon are out of action and the United Nations says that shelters for displaced people are full. Also: gang violence in Haiti kills at least 70 people and are you ready for smart glasses?

Iran’s supreme leader tells a crowd in Tehran that the October 7th massacre was a 'legitimate act'. Also: EU hits China with EV sales tariffs, world's first ovarian cancer vaccine and Google Search's AI makeover.

A year on from the Hamas attack on Israel, Jackie Leonard and Katya Adler from The Global Story put BBC listener questions to our Middle East correspondent, Yolande Knell, and the BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner.

Oil prices rose after Joe Biden said he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure. Also: the sequel to the asteroid which killed off dinosaurs, and the 31-year treasure hunt for the Golden Owl.

The UK is to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after 50 years but will keep military base on Diego Garcia. Also: Lebanon says two soldiers have been killed by Israel, as Israel continues its Hezbollah offensive.

Joe Biden says he doesn't support Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Also: scientists analyse 130,000 brain cells of a fruit fly, and the ban on 'honking' in the Bangladeshi capital.

Israel's military says a team commander has died in the fighting, a day after it announced its invasion. Also: we ask how Israel will respond to Iran's missile attack, and reaction from the US vice-president debate.

Israel says 180 missiles were fired from Iran, most of which were intercepted. Also: Mexico's first female president Claudia Sheinbaum has been sworn in.

Israel's ground invasion in Lebanon continues. Also: scientists warn it may be too late to save many of Switzerland's glaciers; and the play with no rehearsal or director.

Israel launches a "localised, targeted" ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, backed by air strikes and artillery fire. The US says it supports the incursion and warns against mission creep.

The Israeli military says troops are carrying out raids on villages in southern Lebanon, while further air strikes hit Beirut. Also: hundreds unaccounted for in the US in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen.

Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, says the group is ready if Israel invades Lebanon. Also: Marine Le Pen on trial accused of embezzling European parliamentary funds, and UK ends coal power after 142 years.

Lebanon's health ministry has said more than 50 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday. Also: early results in Austria's general election indicate the far-right Freedom Party is heading for a victory.

Your weekly bonus episode of The Global Story.

When OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing last June, it sparked a monumental rescue mission which captured the attention of the world. After days of searching, authorities concluded that the vessel had suffered a catastrophic implosion, and that all five passengers died almost instantly. For the past two weeks, the US Coast Guard has been hearing testimonies from former employees and industry experts, to try to identify what went wrong.

On this episode, Azadeh Moshiri is joined by the BBC's science editor, Rebecca Morelle, to discuss the most revealing evidence, and consider whether the tragic event could have been avoided.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide, one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world.

For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.

We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com

You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Laurie Kalus and Eleanor Sly Sound engineers: Phil Bull and Mike Regaard Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they have "settled the score" with the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, as Iran vows to avenge his death. Also: many killed and missing in Nepal floods.

The Iranian-backed group Hezbollah has described its leader Hassan Nasrallah as a martyr and vowed to continue its battle against Israel. An Israeli Defence Forces spokesman said his death made the world "a safer place".

At the One Young World summit in Canada, we meet leaders and innovators from around the world including a 22-year-old MP, a woman using AI to tackle cyberbullying, and the founder of a fashion brand praised by Beyoncé.

Huge blasts in Beirut as Israel attacks Hezbollah HQ, reportedly targeting the group’s leader. Also: the ongoing violence in Haiti, and the man asked to leave a restaurant because his face was scaring customers.

Hurricane Helene heads to US state of Georgia after hitting Florida. Also: Japan has a new prime minister; actress Maggie Smith dies.

Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined his Ukrainian victory plan at the White House; Kamala Harris warned other aggressors would become emboldened if Putin won. Also: a new map of the Milky Way, and the world's oldest cheese.

Israeli PM tells military to keep fighting with 'full force'. Also: President Biden announces the release of billions of dollars of aid for Ukraine, and the world's longest-serving death row inmate acquitted in Japan.

The army chief told troops to be ready for a cross-border ground operation. The UN says more than 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Monday. Also: walking on the moon at Europe's lunar life simulator.

The latest on the exodus from southern Lebanon, as well as international reaction. Also: Women and children are dying in Sudan's Darfur region as the healthcare system collapses, the 'hidden' crime wave in Cuba, and how to tell if someone is actually addicted to their smartphone.

Officials say two days of attacks have created carnage across the country. Also: US IT firm CrowdStrike apologises for the world's worst computer glitch, and the country with a growing number of mountain gorillas.

The Lebanese government says 558 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since Monday. Meanwhile, Hezbollah rockets trigger alarms in Northern Israel. Also: Sweden accuses Iran of stirring up division through hacking.

Israel says it hit over one thousand Hezbollah targets and tells civilians in southern Lebanon to flee areas near the group's weapons. Also: Albania plans microstate within its borders.

Lebanon's health ministry says more than seven hundred people were injured in the bombardment. Also: Sri Lanka’s new president has been sworn in, and why vineyard owners need to adapt their wine with the times.

Israel and Hezbollah have threatened to increase their cross-border attacks, despite international appeals to calm the situation in the Middle East. Also: unknown Mozart music performed for first time in recent history.

Israel says the move to limit gatherings in the north of the country is needed because it expects Hezbollah to escalate rocket attacks from Lebanon. Also: hundreds of paratroopers mark daring WW2 offensive at Arnhem.

We hear about the freedom and independence a visually impaired man found by running with an AI guide. Also: South Africa's hospital train; an usual diplomatic job share; and the dog whose love of binmen has gone viral.

Presenter: Jackie Leonard. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Hezbollah confirmed Ibrahim Aqil's death after Israel said he was one of several senior Hezbollah figures killed in the strike. Also: Peppa Pig, Thunderbirds and Dalek voice actor David Graham dies aged 99.

Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire across the Lebanese border, there are fears the situation could spiral out of control. Also: a warning Haiti situation is catastrophic, and fussy eaters can blame their parents.

Hezbollah's walkie-talkies were targeted in another day of blasts in Lebanon killing at least 20 and injuring hundreds. Also: first US interest rate cut in four years, and scientists discover that gibbons like to dance.

Russian arms depot erupts after a Ukrainian drone attack where explosions can be seen from space. Also: Hezbollah blames Israel for exploding pagers across Lebanon, and US brand Tupperware files for bankruptcy.

Hezbollah blames Israel for blowing up hundreds of pagers in Lebanon. Israel has yet to comment. Also: rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs awaits trial over sex trafficking charges; and Instagram boosts privacy on teen accounts.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls the situation in Sudan very alarming and the largest displacement crisis in the world. Also: Flooding from Typhoon Yagi has killed more than 220 people in Myanmar. And how to windsurf from the Netherlands to the UK and back.

The US Secret Service says agents' swift action foiled Donald Trump's 'assassination'. Also: the submersible which imploded as it descended to the Titanic, and the UK PM talks stopping migrants with the Italians.

A man has been detained after US Secret Service agents spotted a rifle in the bushes at Donald Trump's Florida golf course. Also: MI5 security service in the UK lowers entry requirement for potential spies.

Romania has set up displacement camps after floods killed a number of people and destroyed thousands of homes. Also: Peru buries its former President, Alberto Fujimori, with a complex tussle over his legacy.

The woman who's beaten the odds to fulfil her childhood astronaut dream. Also: a photography camp for children in Belize; and Moo Deng, the viral baby pygmy hippo.

Our weekly collection of happy stories and positive news.

After the meeting, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave no indication if the UK and US would allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons inside Russia. Also: stranded Nasa astronauts say being left behind was hard.

Russia expels six British diplomats on the day the UK's PM is due to hold talks on Ukraine with President Biden at the White House. Also: China raises retirement age, and after 22 years the Grand Tour runs out of road.

The Russian president didn’t specify Moscow's response if Ukraine is given permission to use long-range missiles. Also: the technology hoping to help patients who have lost sensitivity in their hands and fingers.

The SpaceX mission sees the first private spacewalk. Jared Isaacman was followed by fellow non-professional astronaut, Sarah Gillis. They were testing new space suits. Also: wine is made from bananas in Malawi, and Jon Bon Jovi helps talk woman off a bridge.

Both Harris and Trump claim victory in Tuesday’s presidential election debate. Also: Ukraine pressures US and UK over long-range missiles, and should you be allowed to eat in bed?

Kyiv is putting more pressure on allies to end limits on using long-range western missiles inside Russia. Also: Reaction to the US presidential election debate, and Brazil's former president is awarded $2000 in damages

Trump and Harris have clashed on issues including the economy, immigration, and foreign policy in a fiery presidential debate. Both sides accused each other of weakness and spreading false information. We bring you analysis from Washington. Also: We hear from Missouri where presidential election day will also see voters decide whether to legalise abortion. And western nations have imposed new sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with ballistic missiles to use against Ukraine.

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are facing each other in a live presidential debate. Also: the staggering impact living through the Covid pandemic had on girls' brains, and the campaign to end Afro hair discrimination.

The SpaceX mission will break the record for most people in vacuum of space at once. Also: women in Afghanistan speak out about the Taliban law silencing them in public, and Australia's plan to get children off social media.

Berlin argues that tightening border controls will combat cross-border crime. Also: Catherine, the Princess of Wales, says she's finished chemotherapy, and James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, has died.

3.2 million Afghan children under the age of five are malnourished and 700 died in one hospital. Also: huge crowds turn out in Timor-Leste to welcome Pope Francis. And we look ahead to the TV debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

President Nicholas Maduro's rival in the disputed Venezuelan election, Edmundo Gonzalez, has fled to Spain and claimed political asylum. Also: tips for tourists to North Korea, and the actor Kate Winslet on body image.

Left-wing parties called for protests after Michel Barnier was appointed as French prime minister on Thursday. Also: the Oscar winning lyricist Will Jennings dies aged 80.

We dive into the unusual world of dog surfing and meet some of the surfers who take part in the sport's World Championships. Also, why the British rescue team are revisiting Morocco one year on from the earthquake.

The Israel Defence Forces say it is investigating after Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot at a protest in Beita. Also: Starliner capsule heads home to Earth without stranded astronauts.

China says it's ending overseas adoptions, creating uncertainty for those mid process. The growing cyber crime of sextortion. The US child deaths linked to declining bat population and the perils of sneezing.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has urged Haiti's interim government to set up an electoral council to organise presidential elections. Also: is there a link between noise and infertility?

Ugandan athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, dies after being set on fire by ex-boyfriend. Also on this podcast: France names its new prime minister, and the country where the police are on the lookout for men with beards.

Two pupils and two teachers died in the incident at Apalachee High school in Georgia. Also: animal groups say Russian "spy whale" was shot.

President Zelensky says Russia will be held accountable for a deadly missile attack in Poltava. Also: Prague honours the man who saved Jewish children from the Nazis, and NY governor's ex-aide charged as Chinese agent.

Pressure mounts on the Israeli prime minister, following the killing of six hostages. Also: the Mayor of Paris provokes protests saying she wants the Olympic rings to stay on the Eiffel Tower forever; and how to hold a fashion show in a war zone.

Hundreds of thousands strike in Israel to pressurise PM Netanyahu to secure a hostage release deal with Hamas. Also: Analysis of Germany's regional elections, and how boys are flooded with violent social media content.

Germany's AfD becomes first far-right party to win state election since Nazi era. Also: the mysterious death of the 'Russian spy whale', and the South African beauty queen crowned Miss Nigeria after a nationality row.

Israel and Hamas agree to localised pauses in fighting to enable more than 600,000 Palestinian children to be vaccinated. Also: The weight loss drug that studies suggest can treat other illnesses linked to heart failure, arthritis, Alzheimer's and even cancer, and the armless Paralympic archer.

We meet Manette, the 102 year old who has become the Britain's oldest skydiver. Also: as the Paralympics get underway, we hear the stories of inspiring athletes including USA swimmer, Ali Truwit, who was attacked by a shark.

Presenter: Rachel Wright. Music composed by Iona Hampson.